We Just Discovered a Game-Changing Monopoly Rule

'Tis the season for cozy nights in with family and friends — and a pile of classic board games. While you can fill your time — and get your competitive fix — with video games, iPhone apps, and the latest virtual reality craze, there's truly nothing better than a good ol' game night.

Turns out, a recent rule revelation may convince you to dust off your box of Monopoly.

When someone lands on a property🏠in #Monopoly 🎲💵 & they don't buy it, IT GOES TO AUCTION for any player to buy.

Yes, it's true. This tweet, discovered by Buzzfeed, sparked a conversation about why it's important to play by the rules — at least when it comes to Monopoly. According to the game's official rules, when you land on a property space and you choose not to buy it, the property must be auctioned off by the bankers for the other players to bid on (a.k.a. a real estate version of eBay).

Courtesy of Hasbro

Most Popular

Sounds intuitive, right? This rule — which many of us unknowingly ignored — has serious advantages. For starters, it speeds up the game, which is a crucial in Monopoly. Second, the auction gives players the ability to buy properties for less than they would usually pay. Third, the person who originally landed on the space can make a strategic — and savvy — decision to send the property to auction and bid on it for a lower price. Woah, talk about a game-winning trick.

Since most people have played their fair-share of Monopoly throughout their life, this rule is pretty revolutionary — and as expected, people can't stop talking about it. Some are even sharing other rules that people fail to notice.

No free parking money, properties go to auction, and you can definitely buy things the first go around the board. If you play by the rules the game takes an hour and a half max.